Keep Fighting Gary

Social media is exploding with support for a high school senior in Lackawanna County in a fierce battle with cancer.

Thousands and thousands of people have sent messages on Twitter in support of the Riverside High School senior, including celebrities and professional athletes.

The effort is called Keep Fighting Gary, and his classmates learned Thursday all the prayers and support may be helping.

Seniors at Riverside High School in Taylor want their class president back, roaming the halls with them again, halls that are lined with signs in support for Gary Lukasiewicz.

This week the 18 year old has been in hospice care struggling to survive his battle with cancer.

“He’s just a great kid. I can’t think of one person who doesn’t like him. He has a smile that the whole school just loves. It just lights up a room. We just love him so much. He’s going to keep fighting and that’s what we’re going to do for him,” said classmate Taylor Berto.

Friends took Gary’s fight to Twitter and created an online phenomenon, a support group that now numbers in the thousands.

They used what’s called a hashtag, a code name that links all posts about Gary into one group.

The group #keepfightinggary has caught the attention of celebrities, professional athletes and people all over the country.

Every night this week friends have also gathered at prayer services for Gary. They feared the worst much of the week, but in school his senior classmates got a sign maybe prayers are working, news that Gary was going home from hospice after improving day-to-day.

“From Monday we got the worst news and then four days later we get almost the best news we could ask for. I think that’s really amazing,” said classmate Sarah Holland.

This Keep Fighting Gary campaign has grown and grown and grown at school and worldwide on the web. Even though students got word that Gary is going home from hospice the #keepfightinggary campaign is still in full swing.

“The support that we’ve been getting is really great, but we need people to keep going. It’s not over yet,” said friend Brad McNamara.

Gary is in the fight of his life, but friends said he is a fighter.

“No matter what he has to do, he’ll do it right then and there. No matter how weak he is he’ll get up and do it and make sure all of his work is done,” said friend Kyle Davis.